1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultra-thin mechanical transducer. In particular, the present invention relates to an ultra-thin mechanical transducer implemented using electromechanical polymer (EMP) technology.
2. Discussion or the Related Art
EMP transducers are particularly applicable to tactile haptic user interfaces in many consumer electronic devices (e.g., cellular telephones and tablet computers). Such applications are described, for example, in copending U.S. patent applications (“Copending Applications”) (i) Ser. No. 13/683,980, entitled “Haptic System with Localized Response,” filed Nov. 21, 2012, and (ii) Ser. No. 13/683,928, entitled “EMP Actuators for Deformable Surface and Keyboard Application,” also filed on Nov. 21, 2012. The disclosures of the Copending Applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
One further advance in the EMP transducer disclosed in these Copending Applications is that although they have a thin profile, they are capable of providing a relatively large surface deformation, which allows their use in an embossed keyboard application. Such an application is described, for example, in U.S. patent application (“Embossed Key Application”), Ser. No. 13/735,804, entitled “Thin Profile User Interface Device and Method Providing Localized Haptic Response,” filed on Jan. 7, 2013. The disclosure of the Embossed Key Application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.